I had the honor to work on a story for Cricket Media this month that features the work of a handful of teens and twenty-somethings — the founders of Equality for Her, Bye Bye Plastic Bags and Zero Hour — who are leading the way by creating youth-led movements around the world. Their aims are nothing less than to save lives and the planet, all while centering diverse, under-represented voices.

"Taking action is the best way to live in conditions of crisis and violation, for your spirit and your conscience as well as for society," says Rebecca Solnit in her hopeful (yes, hopeful) response to this month's devastating IPCC climate report. "It’s entirely compatible with grief and horror; you can work to elect climate heroes while being sad."

Kid Reads

Dog Man, all day. Everyday. Comics are making my kids readers. My pre-schooler loves looking at the pictures. My first grader is reading words like "expositional monologue" and "personal growth." (OK, probably not, but they're in there, next to other words she knows.) These books are laugh out loud funny, too.

November's library pick: We Came to America by Faith Ringold. We're reading this in anticipation of Thanksgiving as a complement to the stories of colonialism that our children are sure to hear. (Thanks Lauren, for the rec!)

Looking

Last but not least, I'm looking at... my notes for a novel! Join me tomorrow by committing to writing 1600 words each day in November. If you've ever thought about writing anything (it doesn't have to be fiction), check out NaNoWriMo for more info on how to participate in this write-along.